Whether you are getting ready for a cruise that you didn’t quite get into the shape you were hoping, or you are finishing up the Game of Shreds challenge at LiveFit there will come a time when you need to lose weight QUICK!!

Rest assured, I got your back to help you drop weight & inches ASAP…

Read these simple steps and follow this gameplan for the next 72 hours (up to 7 days) to ensure you drop the most amount of pounds and inches for that big day!

1.) Drink more water

While we have all heard before that drinking water leads to better health, this tip is also the #1 most important one for quick weight loss.

Simply, more water in means more water out. Your body tries to constantly maintain homeostasis and regulate all water, sodium, potassium and mineral balance on a minute to minute basis.

You cannot trick your body!

If you stop drinking fluids or your body senses it is becoming dehydrated a hormone in the body, aldosterone, kicks in to retain more water and sodium to protect itself. This leads to a puffy and bloated physique…NOT A GOOD COMBINATION!!

Water will help: 
Digestion 
Keep you feeling full 
Muscles saturated and tight against the skin 
Flush out toxins 
Increase energy and so much more….

The plan:

==> Aim to drink 6-8 ounces of water each hour, on the hour. 
==> 1/2 hour before each meal, drink one full glass of room temperature water 
==> Some research shows that adding the juice of 1/2 squeezed lemon first thing in the morning stimulates the gallbladder to release more bile to break down fattier foods in our diet.

2.) Skip the energy dense foods

Each gram of carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories and each gram of fat contains 9 calories.

While snacking on almonds, nuts and seeds is normally highly recommended on many of my weight loss programs, try to focus on fruits and vegetables as much as possible.

Why?

1/2 cup of almonds is 400 calories, 1 cup of lettuce is only 8 calories!

Does this mean you should only eat lettuce? NO!!!

But, swap out:

==> a chicken sandwich or chicken and rice, to a lettuce roll up or a grilled chicken salad.

==> swap out chips, crackers and crunchy snacks with veggies and chip dip made with greek yogurt

Fruits and vegetables will: 
Keep your energy high 
Keep you feeling full 
Increase fiber intake without adding bulk or bloat 
Give you a boost of phytochemicals and phytonutrients to break down food in your digestive tract, and so much more….

The plan:

==> Have a piece of fruit with breakfast and your preworkout meal each day. 
==> Snack on cucumber, carrots, celery or other crunchy vegetable for snacks and when hungry between meals 
==> Eat a large salad for lunch and dinner (include a secondary vegetable with dinner to avoid late night hunger and increase satiety)

3. Increase protein, fuel the burn

Protein is your top nutritional weapon in this one week plan. Lean proteins are going to work the best.

Stick to egg whites, chicken breast, lean turkey, cottage cheese, non fat Greek yogurt and my favorite…whey protein!

Protein will help to: 
Nourish muscles but not fat (muscles burn calories all day long) 
Keep your strength levels elevated to maintain training intensity 
Increase the metabolism each time it is consumed

The plan:

==> Have a 3-5 oz serving of any of the above listed protein sources a minimum of 4x’s daily 
==> Use the Greek yogurt recipe found here to easily increase your protein intake each day https://derekkuryliw.com/4-waist-shrinking-muscle-boosting-recipes/

4. Sweat it out

Cardio and specifically High Intensity Interval Cardio (H.I.I.T) burns a lot of calories each session. Try wearing a cotton sweatshirt with each workout to increase your bodies internal body temperature.

Again, when your body senses an increase in temperature, it will do everything possible to restore itself to homeostasis (ie: you sweat!).

How sweating helps: 
If you’re sweating, chances are you’re also being active!

Just as increasing water intake helps to flush the body of toxins, your skin is like a 3rd kidney to the body and it will also help to release additional toxins

Similar to taking thermogenic fat burners and eating hot peppers, when your body temperature rises your body is burning more calories in attempt to cool itself down.

The plan:

==> Where a cotton long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt to workout (no polyester or trash bags, they trap moisture inside…you’ll look rubbery!) 
==> Try wearing layers and removing layer by layer as you phase into your workout 
==> Go for an additional 15 minutes of HIIT cardio after each workout while wearing your sweats for adding calorie burning benefits

5. Sleep 30 minutes more each night

So while you’ve probably been reading this, 100% gung-ho and ready to start dropping the pounds asap…I might have just lost you!

Between telling clients to drink more water and sleep more minutes, I don’t know which I hear the most excuses to.

Point blank, answer one question…when do you weigh the least each day? In the morning or at night?

Unless you have never owned a scale in your life, you know the answer is in the morning.

Why?

Your body is working hard each night to repair the stress of the previous day, recover from injuries, break down undigested food, restore water balance and so much more. For some people, your body burns more calories while you sleep than the entire day that you are awake!

Getting more sleep will also help: 
Ensure more energy, resulting in less snacking and mindless eating

Increase your mood and well being so that when “it hits the fan” you are still under control and can also make wise food choices

If you are sleeping more, there is also a greater chance that you are more organized and have prepared all of your meals the night before so that you aren’t scrambling to throw something together in the morning

The plan:

==> Prepare all of your meals for the following day immediately after dinner while cleaning up. This includes Tupperware for food, shakes prepared in shaker cups, fruit and veggies sliced in baggies, etc… 
==> Prepare your clothes, gym bag, shoes, etc… after cleaning the kitchen and preparing your meals. 
==> The preparation is done, relax, read, spend time with family, wind down…. 
==> Make it your goal to be in bed 30 minutes earlier than normal each night. When it’s all said and done for the night, let’s hope this adds 15 extra minutes of sleep at night. 
==> Set your alarm for 15 minutes later than normal. Since everything is already prepared, your morning should allow for a little more zzzzzz’s 🙂

Bonus tip

Write everything down!

Write down your daily goals, chores and ‘to do’s’

Write down each meal and your activities for each day

Review your list each night and begin crafting the following days list before bed. This will allow your mind to relax, stay organized and prevent chaos in the morning.

If a certain meal makes you bloated, tired or sluggish, WRITE IT DOWN!

Each person is different, learn what works for you.

Remember that safety, not what the scale reads, is the most important thing for your health.

Never attempt to crash diet, take harsh stimulant pills, dehydrate yourself, wrap yourself in crazy mummy wraps or any of the other ridiculous fads out there!

Fads are just that, fads.

Do what works: drink more fluids, eat fruits/vegetables, eat more lean protein, increase sweat output, sleep more and get organized.

In the end you will be healthier, happier, more energized and of course LOOK WAY BETTER NAKED!!

If you need more help please do not hesitate to email me [email protected] or text 727-810-4005.

Committed to your fitness success,

Derek Kuryliw, your fitness Yoda 🙂